TN Republicans assail Obama's proposed health law fix

Nov. 15, 2013

Written by

Paul C. Barton

Tennessean Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans from Tennessee on Thursday took turns lambasting President Barack Obama’s offer of an administrative fix for Americans wanting to keep their health insurance another year instead of shopping for new plans under the Affordable Care Act.

House Republicans from the state said they were instead supporting a legislative fix offered by Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. They disputed arguments from some Democrats that the Upton bill would allow the industry to continue offering policies that don’t cover pre-existing conditions or meet other goals of the 2010 health care reform law.

Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville applauded Obama’s offer and said he had misgivings about Upton’s bill.

“It’s good the president is standing by his commitment for people to keep plans if they like them,” Cooper said in a prepared statement. “Rep. Upton’s bill lets insurance companies make that decision. Our focus should be on helping people get and keep good health insurance.”

But Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander said the matter was too important to depend on the president’s administrative fix.

“The 5 million Americans — including 82,000 Tennesseans — losing their health care plans know that, after too many broken promises from this administration, the details matter. The president should send his proposal to Congress to consider and give Americans the certainty of law over rhetoric.”